BOSTON, Dec. 20, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Benjamin
Franklin Institute of Technology (BFIT), a private non-profit
college offering affordable education for people seeking technical
and trade careers, announced today a partnership with Ginkgo
Bioworks (NYSE: DNA) to develop an associate degree in
biotechnology manufacturing. The program will be housed at the
Nubian Square Life Science Training Center, a collaboration of
organizations uniting to meet the demand for a well-trained and
diverse life sciences workforce, with additional funding through a
$100,000 grant from Kargman Family
Foundation.
The training partnership between BFIT and Ginkgo Bioworks, the
leading horizontal platform for cell programming, will focus on
supporting the development of critical workforce skills in the
areas of biotechnology, biomanufacturing, clinical research and
bioengineering. Program graduates will be prepared and
trained for a wide range of entry- and mid-level technician
positions focused on operations and maintenance, positions that are
in high demand throughout the life sciences field. A 2020
report by the Massachusetts Biotechnology Education Foundation
shows a 67% increase in life sciences jobs in Massachusetts over the past decade. The report
also found that at the associate degree and high school graduate
levels, job demand has grown by 140%.
"Our partnership with Ginkgo Bioworks is another example of
BFIT's nimble approach toward identifying high demand industries
that require a skilled workforce and offer opportunities for
sustainable career development for our graduates," said
Aisha Francis, President and CEO of
BFIT. "This new associate's degree in biotechnology manufacturing
positions our students to play a critical role in supplying a
diverse and qualified workforce to fill Massachusetts' booming life science and
medical industry."
"There is a common misconception that only those with advanced
degrees are qualified for jobs in the life sciences field. It's
time for that misconception to be corrected," said Reshma Shetty, co-founder, Chief Operating
Officer and President of Ginkgo Bioworks. "BFIT has strong
community connections and a reputation for successfully educating
young people in technical careers, and Ginkgo is committed to
producing the next generation of life sciences professionals.
Through this partnership, we hope to create long-term career
opportunities for individuals who may not have previously
considered this field."
The Nubian Square Life Science Training Center is located in
close proximity to Madison Park Technical Vocational High School,
John D. O'Bryant School of
Mathematics and Science, Dearborn STEM Academy, Roxbury Community College, and other academic
institutions with young talent excited to be prepared for life
science careers. A key enabler of this degree program will be the
Nubian Square Life Science Training Center, housed at Nubian
Ascends in the Roxbury
neighborhood alongside the proposed 68,000 square-foot,
state-of-the-art BFIT campus planned for the corner of Harrison Ave and Eustis
Street, remaking the landscape and adding economic vitality
to this historically and culturally rich area. The Training Center
will be designed to include lab training facilities; BFIT
instructors will provide instruction to the talented students
studying to enter these growing industries.
"We've entered into this strategic education partnership with
corporate partners to make sure that community members from areas
historically overlooked have access to new economy jobs that are in
high demand and pay well. This is what equity in action looks like
and it's long overdue," said Richard
Taylor, Managing Director of the Nubian Ascends project.
The Nubian Square Life Science Training Center has already
received a $100,000 grant from the
Kargman Family Foundation to educate and explain Life Science
career options to high school students, community college students,
and adults seeking new careers in Boston.
About Benjamin Franklin Institute of
Technology
Founded in 1908 in Boston,
Benjamin Franklin Institute of
Technology is an affordable, urban College serving the
Boston region and committed to
student success and career readiness in technology fields, 90% of
which are integrated with an approach to sustainability. With clean
and green tech verticals in their top programs like HVAC&R,
Wind Energy Technology, Automotive, and Electrical Engineering,
BFIT provides personalized support, hands-on learning, and
industry-informed curricula to prepare graduates for well-paid
work, life-long learning, and civic engagement. For more
information, please go to www.bfit.edu.
About Ginkgo Bioworks
Ginkgo is building a platform to enable customers to program
cells as easily as we can program computers. The company's platform
is enabling biotechnology applications across diverse markets, from
food and agriculture to industrial chemicals to pharmaceuticals.
Ginkgo has also actively supported a number of COVID-19 response
efforts, including K-12 pooled testing, vaccine manufacturing
optimization and therapeutics discovery. For more information,
visit www.ginkgobioworks.com.
About Nubian Ascends
In addition to the Life Science Training Center, the Nubian
Ascends project will offer affordable artist housing, artist studio
and collaboration spaces, commercial space, a marketplace, a
300-car parking garage, and a multi-purpose cultural hall and
theater that will support Nubian Square's transformation as a new
iconic space for the region. The proposed commercial space will
promote job creation, which will bring purchasing power to support
neighborhood businesses and create demand for the 48,000 sf
marketplace on the ground floor. The marketplace will feature local
artisans and makers and a food hall that showcases chefs from an
on-site culinary arts program. www.nubiansquareascends.com
Forward-Looking Statements of Ginkgo Bioworks
This press release contains certain forward-looking statements
within the meaning of the federal securities laws, including
statements regarding the potential success of the partnership and
Ginkgo's cell programming platform. These forward-looking
statements generally are identified by the words "believe,"
"project," "potential," "expect," "anticipate," "estimate,"
"intend," "strategy," "future," "opportunity," "plan," "may,"
"should," "will," "would," "will be," "will continue," "will likely
result," and similar expressions. Forward-looking statements are
predictions, projections and other statements about future events
that are based on current expectations and assumptions and, as a
result, are subject to risks and uncertainties. Many factors could
cause actual future events to differ materially from the
forward-looking statements in this document, including but not
limited to: (i) the effect of the business combination with Soaring
Eagle Acquisition Corp. ("Soaring Eagle") on Ginkgo's business
relationships, performance, and business generally, (ii) risks that
the business combination disrupts current plans of Ginkgo and
potential difficulties in Ginkgo's employee retention, (iii) the
outcome of any legal proceedings that may be instituted against
Ginkgo related to its business combination with Soaring Eagle, (iv)
volatility in the price of Ginkgo's securities now that it is a
public company due to a variety of factors, including changes in
the competitive and highly regulated industries in which Ginkgo
plans to operate, variations in performance across competitors,
changes in laws and regulations affecting Ginkgo's business and
changes in the combined capital structure, (v) the ability to
implement business plans, forecasts, and other expectations after
the completion of the business combination, and identify and
realize additional opportunities, and (vi) the risk of downturns in
demand for products using synthetic biology. The foregoing list of
factors is not exhaustive. You should carefully consider the
foregoing factors and the other risks and uncertainties described
in the "Risk Factors" section of Ginkgo's quarterly report on Form
10-Q filed with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (the
"SEC") on November 15, 2021 and other
documents filed by Ginkgo from time to time with the SEC. These
filings identify and address other important risks and
uncertainties that could cause actual events and results to differ
materially from those contained in the forward-looking statements.
Forward-looking statements speak only as of the date they are made.
Readers are cautioned not to put undue reliance on forward-looking
statements, and Ginkgo assumes no obligation and does not intend to
update or revise these forward-looking statements, whether as a
result of new information, future events, or otherwise. Ginkgo does
not give any assurance that it will achieve its expectations.
GINKGO BIOWORKS INVESTOR CONTACT:
investors@ginkgobioworks.com
GINKGO BIOWORKS MEDIA
CONTACT:
press@ginkgobioworks.com
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SOURCE Ginkgo Bioworks